


Siren's Song

by MarinetteAgresteBrand



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Alternate Universe - No Miraculous, Beaches, Cliffhangers, Endgame Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, F/M, Inspiration, Muses, Music, Mystery, Ocean, Photographs, Photography
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-01
Updated: 2021-01-01
Packaged: 2021-03-11 01:34:17
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28486914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MarinetteAgresteBrand/pseuds/MarinetteAgresteBrand
Summary: In search of inspiration, Luka ventures to the seaside where he encounters a picture perfect beauty, the ideal muse of his next song album.Struggling to find clarity, Marinette tries to keep her distance only to find that she can't fight who she is and what she wants with Luka.
Relationships: Luka Couffaine/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 11
Kudos: 40





	Siren's Song

**Author's Note:**

> New Year, New Ship!  
> Let's get sailing!
> 
> Thanks to khanofallorcs, pearholiday, and mininoire for beta reading my first attempt at Lukanette!

“We don't see many tourists ‘round these parts. What’re you doing all the way out here, laddie?”

Luka gazed through his camera’s viewfinder and towards the horizon, where the sun met the sea. He’d gone out of his way to visit the ocean, to the quaint coastal town where his mother had grown up. He basked in the salty air and warm sun; a part of him wondered how she could’ve ever left. It was a beautiful place, but eerily calm compared to the chaos he was growing used to enduring in the city. Closing his eyes, he took in the sounds of waves and the innocent sweet laughter of those on the beach before pressing the shutter button. “I’m in search of some inspiration.”

“Not sure how much of that you’ll find here, but most have said they were just drawn to this place.” The cabbie peeked at the blue-haired man through the rearview mirror, somewhat curious about why he was wearing sunglasses when it wasn’t particularly bright out.

Biting back a laugh, Luka gazed at his guitar case forlornly. He had lost all inspiration to write music as of late; the notes no longer flowed like a stream, but instead seemed to drown in silence.

“Like a siren's song?” He had never believed in myths and folklore. But with nothing left to lose, _why not start?_ “Maybe that’s what I need to hear.” 

* * *

It wasn’t long before the cab arrived at the place he was staying – a little house a small ways away from the edge of town at the base of a cliff. It had belonged to the Couffaine family for generations, and he’d often spent his summers as a child. But now, for the most part, it was abandoned. After unloading his luggage, he stepped onto the porch and took note of the floorboard creaking beneath his feet, the outside worn down by numerous storms over the years.

A faint layer of dust coated the furniture inside, making him grimace at how he was going to have to spend the first day cleaning. He had debated on hiring some people to fix the place up, but didn’t want the paparazzi to catch wind of where he was staying.

Opening a wide window in hopes of airing out the home, Luka gazed out into the distant twilight through the viewfinder of his camera. He closed his eyes to listen to the beach waves. But what he heard instead was the faint sound of a woman's humming carrying through the breeze, tinkling like a wind chime. 

His eyes searched for the source of the sound. After blinking once, she came into view, as if appearing out of thin air. The woman had hair as dark as night and eyes as blue as the ocean. As she walked on the boardwalk just beside the beach, her flowing, pure white dress fluttered like wings against the seaside ornamental grasses.

Daintily tucking her skirt behind her knees, she reached out to pluck a coastal flower and inhale its scent. The melody of her song was unfamiliar, and her voice was soothing – almost otherworldly. As she began tucking the blossom into a lock of hair behind her ear, she gazed in his direction and smiled. Her smile… it was beautiful… it was perfect, _she was perfect_ … It was as if his ideal woman had been breathed to life.

The sound of the camera flashed, and Luka’s jaw dropped in shock. He’d unknowingly pressed the shutter button and taken a picture without her permission. Her singing ceased, and he dropped his camera. Immediately, he gave the girl an apologetic look, mouthing the words “I’m sorry.”

Tilting her head cutely, she gave him a childlike grin before soundlessly mouthing back “It’s okay.” 

With a wave, she stepped onto the sand and walked off into the horizon. The words of her song were too quiet to hear, but somehow resonated ever louder in his heart.

* * *

It took a few days, but Luka finally managed to get everything in the house in order, including setting up a darkroom in one of the spare bedrooms. 

The camera he had wasn’t digital, but he didn’t mind; it was a gift from his grandfather and he found developing film in a darkroom to be soothing in its own way. This way, the pictures he took always ended up being a surprise of sorts when finished. 

The woman he’d photographed was beautiful beyond words, everything about her seeming unattainably ethereal in the picture. Yet somehow, Luka couldn’t help but wonder why her smile seemed to hold some sort of underlying sadness. Admittedly, he was curious, wanting to know what could elicit her making such an expression.

He’d come to take a break from the public eye in search of inspiration for his next album, but never could he have ever hoped to find a muse so quickly. Lately, whenever he slept, he dreamt of her. It made him wonder what sort of life she led here by the ocean, his mind weaving a tale all on its own. Luka bit back a laugh – it was like he was obsessed! He gazed at the photograph, inspecting every inch of her, a part of him hoping she wouldn’t mind him wanting to get closer.

* * *

The town was lively, with everyone seeming to be on friendly terms with one another; he thought it was nice and spent hours just watching people simply go about their routines. The time he spent here was peaceful — no one seemed to recognize him. Or if they did, they never said anything.

As the days passed, Luka would find himself searching for the woman. He was almost tempted to ask the locals if they knew of her, but knew better than anyone how important it was for one’s private life to stay private. He just wished he had some sort of clue as to where he could find her.

* * *

Walking home alone, Luka breathed in the salty air and gazed at the twilight sky, the thin sliver of light almost mirroring his hopes of seeing her again. His heart felt heavy and he sighed as he lifted his camera upward to take aim. Photography be damned, Luka had always found the impossible mix of colors at twilight to be more beautiful than the golden hour. And through his viewfinder, just as he pressed the shutter button, was when he found her once more.

Luka suddenly felt a hammering in his chest and his mind filled with a melody so enchanting, he was sure he wouldn’t mind listening to it forever. When he lifted his face away from the camera to view her with his own two eyes, he saw that she had disappeared from his sight. 

An overwhelming surge of panic overtook him and he found himself sprinting onto the beach, ignoring the discomfort caused by the sand that filled his sneakers and the unevenness of the terrain. It’d taken days for him to catch a glimpse of her again, and he couldn’t let the opportunity pass him by. “Wait! Please!” he yelled into what felt like a void, his words powerless against the crashing waves of the ocean tide.

“No!” Luka felt his heavy heart begin to sink as he fell to his knees. There weren’t footprints to follow, or any signs she’d ever even walked the earth. Just as he began to think his mind was playing tricks on him was when he heard it — her voice.

She was singing! And the sound alone was enough to restore his faith. He looked every which way trying to pinpoint her exact location, but her song just echoed all around him. He closed his eyes for a moment as he stood, and let his body just walk all on its own. 

When he opened his eyes again the singing had ceased, but he caught a glimpse of fluttering white fabric disappearing behind a large rock formation. He didn’t even wait for the tide to settle and ran straight through the water to a secluded coastal inlet. “Hello…?” He called out to her.

There was no answer.

“Please… if you’re here, please say something… anything. I have no intentions of hurting you, I just want—” Luka felt a lump form in his throat as he wondered what it was he wanted from her.

“Ah… a-are you looking for me?”

The question snapped him out of his thoughts and he saw her ocean blue eyes peeking at him from behind a large rock wall. “Yes…” he answered breathlessly.

With a weak smile, she held her hand out to him as if to beckon him closer.

Without hesitation, he entered the cove, her bewitching beauty luring him in despite the ever-growing darkness of night. “My name is Luka… what’s yours?”

She dropped her arm to her side just before he could take it. Her fingers fiddled with the sash at her waist as she shyly looked up at him. “It’s um… Ma-Ma-Marinette!” She chirped, almost like a bird.

And all at once, Luka felt all the tension that he didn’t even know he had in his shoulders leave. He held his hand out to her, almost in disbelief that she was even real. After gazing down at it for a moment, she slipped her nimble fingers against the edge of his and Luka felt a serene calm wash over him. Her skin was so soft, smooth and cool. He smiled at her, rouge blooming onto her cheeks as he pressed his lips to the inside of her palm. “I’ve been dying to meet you, Marinette.”

* * *

Luka watched as Marinette walked along the coast and squealed when the frigid ocean water nipped at her toes. “Luka!” The way she called his name was clear as a music note and as sincere as a melody. She waved at him as she stumbled about and kicked at the waves. “Won’t you join me?” 

Luka shook his head, not knowing how to swim in the ocean and preferring to stay dry on shore. “I’m happy just watching you.” 

As she reached for seashells and tucked them into her skirt, she asked, “Are you afraid of drowning?”

“No…” Luka felt her cold fingers tap at his cheek as if she were trying to entice him into joining her. He leaned into her touch, trying to commit the feeling to memory as she pulled away, the beads of sea water trailing down his skin. “Just afraid of how deep I’ll fall…”

Marinette gasped, blushing as she held her hand to her chest. “Um… look at how many I’ve collected!” She grinned at him as she held up the shells she’d cleaned up, water slipping through her fingers and shimmering with the fleeting rays of sun.

Without a second thought, Luka pressed the shutter button. “Beautiful...” A small smile tugged his lips at how many photos he’d already collected of her over the course of just a couple of weeks. 

Marinette had agreed to be his muse, but only on two conditions. First, they could only ever meet at twilight and on the little bit of shore by his house. Second, he always had to be the first to leave and never follow her even if he wanted to know if she got home safely. She didn’t speak much about herself – the moments between them were mostly spent in silence, but he didn’t mind. He liked being alone with her, as if they were the only two people in the whole world. But if there was one thing he missed… it was her singing.

Marinette strummed at her lyre, humming along to a melody as he pulled out his guitar to join her.

“I haven’t heard you actually sing since we met.” Luka spoke as he strummed at his instrument.

She ceased her playing, eyes looking as if they were staring off into the distance rather than right at him. “I… I don’t like my voice…” She murmured as she pulled her knees to her chest. “My singing… I think it’s creepy…”

The wind blew, and her dark locks veiled her from his sight. “Hey now…” He tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “I don’t think that’s true at all.” Gently, he pressed his hand against her cheek to caress it. “It was the first thing that drew me to you.” He tilted her chin upward so he could meet her gaze, and ran his thumb across her bottom lip.

“Just like all the others…” She whispered softly, closing her eyes as if pained by his words. 

Luka furrowed his brows at the thought of _others_ who sought her company like she was some man-eater. “What do you mean, Marinette?” Despite not really knowing anything about her, she’d stolen his heart. Blinded by his love, he could want for no one else but her.

“Never mind…” Marinette wrapped her cold hand around his wrist to pull away, giving him the same sad smile as when he’d first laid eyes on her. “If you want to hear me sing again... I’ll think about it. But for now, please go… I um… have to head to work...” The quieting sounds of the loading docks in the distance indicated that the working day was nearly over.

It was getting late – too late, with the stars starting to twinkle from above. “Work? This late…?” A part of him was getting nervous as her expression looked as though she was on the verge of crying. “You don’t seem like you want to go.”

“Not everyone can be happy with the hand they’re dealt.” Marinette whispered as she got up to dust the sand from the folds of her dress.

Not wanting to let her leave, Luka gently reached for her hand. “Marinette… is your job something dangerous?”

Her lips quivered as she blinked back her tears — they shimmered like pearls. “It’s um…”

“Marinette...” As if on impulse, he wrapped his arms around her. “I love you! Please, if there’s something troubling you, I’ll do anything I can to keep you safe. So please, please, Marinette… just stay, here, with me.”

“Even like this, it isn’t safe for us to be together!” She cried out as she tore herself away from his embrace. “I’m not good for you, Luka… I’ll only hurt you.” 

As she took a step back, Luka felt his voice catching in his throat; he hated the idea of making her cry, but hated even more how he thought she looked so beautiful even in tears. “Marinette…” He felt his body grow weak, but held onto her hand with all the strength he could manage.

They say eyes were the widow to the soul; and in Marinette's gaze, Luka saw an internal struggle. With what though, he did not know. Marinette sighed deeply. “Luka, if you ever want to see me again… please, let me go.”'

Luka squeezed his eyelids shut and sucked in a deep breath, the salty air mixing with the fresh tears he felt streaming down his face. Not wanting to risk losing her, he told himself that he had no choice but to oblige. He let go of her hand and heard her footsteps splash against the rippling tides as she ran far, far away from him. When he found the courage to open his eyes once more, she was gone. Left only with sadness and despair, he clenched at his chest, wishing with all his heart that she would choose to come back to him… lest he spend the rest of eternity searching for her. 

* * *

Privacy be damned – within a matter of days, Luka was on the verge of breaking down. He frantically searched for Marinette, asking the locals for help. But when he pleaded for any sort of clue, they just looked at him as if he were insane. No one had even seen or heard of her. He began to lose his composure — his mind raced with the possibilities, wondering if she had lied about her name or even lived in this town – or perhaps she was a figment of his imagination.

Over and over again, he developed the same strips of film, hoping to confirm her existence. The walls of his studio soon had her image plastered on every surface. It was borderline crazy, he knew. But the madness sparked inspiration, with Marinette being the song that’d been playing in his head ever since they first met.

Having been left to wallow in his thoughts and drown in his music, Luka locked himself away in the house to complete the songs he needed for his album — just in time for the rainy season to start. The violent winds had begun taking their toll on the old place, and Luka knew he wouldn’t be able to stay much longer with the whole thing threatening to collapse.

With his studio greenlighting his next album and promoting it everywhere after submission, there was nothing left to tether him to this place.

Well, aside from the fact that he was haunted.

Time passed by slowly, and thinking about her was driving him to the brink of insanity despite his trying to forget.

He didn't want to leave...

But there was no reason to stay.

_Not without her._

* * *

It wasn’t long before Luka made all the necessary arrangements to move back to Paris.

With plans to leave come morning light, Luka spent his last day saying his goodbyes to the people he’d come to know around town, taking pictures to preserve the memories.

Eyes cast downward, he made his way toward the large cliff near which the house was built.

Luka told himself over and over to give up and accept the fact that he was never going to see Marinette again, but he knew deep down that he never could.

Shivering at how the chilly gusts of wind were beginning to pick up, he gazed out to the horizon. And as if intending to taunt him further, he caught wind of the sound he’d been dying to hear. Luka told himself to get a grip and that he was probably just imagining things, but her singing kept rising in crescendo. It wasn’t long before he found himself sprinting toward the source of the melody.

Panting as he grasped at his knees, Luka struggled to catch his breath. His lungs ached, feeling as though they were on fire. He almost thought he was going to die.

With uncertainty, he shifted his gaze upward to meet her ocean-blue eyes. “Ma-Ma… Marinette…”

“Luka!” The way his name fell from her lips resonated as clearly as a bell despite the harsh winds.

“Marinette!” He felt tears well up in his eyes as he ran up to her and cupped her face. He found her to be freezing cold in contrast to the burning flame of his love. He still couldn’t believe she was real.

“Oh, Luka…” She lifted her hands to wipe away his tears as some of her pearlescent own began to form in the corners of her own blue eyes. “I’m sorry for having left you alone... but I’ve finally found some clarity.”

He leaned into her touch and looked into her eyes; they no longer held that sadness he’d spent weeks wondering about. “What have you decided?” 

“I’ve been trying to fight these feelings for so long. No matter how hard I tried to stay away, I just couldn’t bear the thought of you letting you go…” Her eyes shifted down to the camera packed away in its case. “But then I saw you completed your album and began to wonder if you no longer needed a muse…”

Luka sighed as he wrapped his arms around her body and wondered how she wasn’t shivering despite being dressed in so little. “Marinette… you have no idea how much I missed you.”

“I missed you too…” Marinette stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Luka felt himself blush all the way to his ears. “God, you’re so beautiful…” Truly, to him she was like a dream brought to life.

“Take a picture, it’ll last longer!” As she motioned to his camera, her laugh brought a newfound calm to his heart. 

“May I?” He said, asking for permission this time.

“Of course!” She twirled away from his arms, the skirt of her white dress playfully rising against the gale. “I want this moment to be remembered forever…”

Gazing at her through the viewfinder as she stood at the very edge of the cliff, he saw her smile at him with sincere delight before he pressed the shutter button.

Luka almost couldn’t wait to develop the film, just knowing it’d be the most breathtakingly beautiful picture he’d ever taken. “Marinette, I—” He lifted his head to thank her only to find that she was no longer there.

At the thought of her leaving him once more, he felt his heart break all over again. Dropping his camera amongst the grass and gravel, he walked toward the edge. Luka looked down to see nothing but seafoam get washed away by the crashing waves – before the ground crumbled beneath his feet.

**Author's Note:**

> Don't you just love cliffhanger endings? _Literally._
> 
> Hit me up on the [Miraculous Fanworks Discord Server](https://discord.gg/mlfanworks) where you can discuss Miraculous Ladybug, get feedback on fics, share fanart, and make friends!


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